Furious Congress plows forward with TikTok bill after user revolt
Technology,Business,TikTok,US House,National Security,Defense And Security,Cybersecurity,China,Data Privacy
Members of Congress are being flooded with calls from angry constituents after TikTok launched a new campaign warning its users that the Chinese-owned app was at risk of being shut down in the U.S.
Why it matters: A key House committee voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to advance bipartisan legislation that would force ByteDance — TikTok's Chinese parent company — to divest its ownership of the app within 165 days.
State of play: The highly unusual 50-0 vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee — which unveiled the bill two days ago alongside the China Select Committee — reflected the level of anger among some members about TikTok's pressure campaign.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) announced Thursday he would bring the "critical national security bill" to the House floor for a vote next week.
The White House has indicated that President Biden would sign the bill, injecting new urgency — and aggression — into TikTok's campaign to counter the yearslong efforts to address the app's national security risks.
